Crystal Kiss
by Kierfnen
Summary: What should have happened in the Crystal Catacombs and how a little Crystal Kiss can change an ending.
1. Chapter 1

Katara POV

The cold ground is all I feel. As I curl up into a ball trying in vain to convince myself that everything will be alright. I shake my head in despair and stand up to pace my prison. On my fifth lap I hear the sound of moving rock and look up to see the banished prince being thrown down into my prison.

"Zuko!" his name escapes my shocked lips; he has caught me off guard once more. It takes me a second to harden my expression "Why did they throw you in here?" I ask accusingly. Without waiting for an answer I say "oh wait let me guess it's a trap so that when Aang shows up to help me you will finally have him in your little fire nation clutches. You're a terrible person, do you know that? All ways following us try to hunt down the avatar to capture the world's last hope for peace. But what do you care you're the fire lord's son spreading war violence and hatred is in your blood."

"You don't know what you are talking about." He shoots back at me finally getting a word in.

"I don't?" I unleash my anger "How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through! Me personally…" I turned and curled up into a ball as if trying to disappear; my rant dissolved into a bare whisper "The Fire Nation took my mother away from me." Pain, agony, rage, helplessness, fear all run their course through my bod; Flashbacks of the black snow, the stranger in the house, her last words to me; the guilt that I didn't run fast enough. Just as the tears began to spill over, I felt a hand on my back. As my perfect enemy pulled me close to him in an embrace "I'm sorry" he told me pulling me closer "that is something we both have in common" I cry into his chest, he holds me and the tears fall faster "all my fault" I sob "run faster" _the black snow falls in my head, her last words echo in my mind _"don't worry" _fear_ "I'll handle this" _pain _"she lied" _hate_ "she lied" I feel myself curl closer to Zuko "she lied to me." I fall unconscious lost in the nightmare of the worst day of my life.

Slowly the world comes back into focus, I find myself still in his arms. I am oddly comforted by this, he is warm and his touch brings back a sense of security, and possibly protectiveness. I look up at him tears still in my eyes. "I'm sorry I yelled at you"

"It doesn't matter" he replies gently wiping a tear from my cheek

"It is just for so long when I imagined the face of the enemy I saw your face"

"My face I see" he stopped lifted his hand from my face to his own

"No it's not that-" I reach up to take his hand

"It's alright," he takes my hand into his and smiles at me softly, _he has a nice smile _I think to myself "but for so long I thought that my scar marked me, the mark of the banished prince, but now I Know that I am the only one who can do that to myself"

"You know" I say thoughtfully "I might be able to heal it."

"It is a scar they don't heal" he replied disbelieving

"not necessarily" I decide to take a gamble "I have healing abilities, and when we went to the north pole I was given a gift from a master water bender" I reached into my robe and pulled out the amulet of water from the spirit oasis "this is water from the spirit oasis at the north pole, it has special healing properties, maybe it can heal your scar"

"It is worth a shot" he said doubtfully, but I saw the glint of hope in his eyes.

I moved out of his arms and we sat on our knees face to face. I took out the water and bended it onto his scarred eye. It spun in a small glowing circle for about a minute. It isn't working the scar doesn't budge; I feel disappointment in myself for not being able to help him. I removed the spirit water and put it back into the amulet. I sighed in defeat.

"No luck, I'm sorry Zuko" I dropped my head and put the amulet back in my robe. He put one of his warm hands under my head and made me look at him; though I did little to resist.

"Katara, thank you" he leans in and I close my eyes, his hand slides from my chin to the back of my neck and I feel the touch of his lips against mine. I hesitate a second before retuning his kiss and wraping my arms around him, he pulls me closer and the ground begins to rumble. I think to myself _'is he actually rocking my world?_' when I hear the sound of Earthbending and Zuko and I break our kiss to see the shocked faces of Aang and Iroh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Zutara Chap. 2**

Zuko POV

_Oh Shit_ is first thing that pops up in my mind, but I force myself to stay calm. Katara and I stand up and I try in vain to think of something to say, but my brain is blank from kissing Katara, Agni she is an amazing kisser, I glance at her to see that her head is down. I look back at Iroh and Aang. The avatar has a mixture of pain, disbelief, shock, anger, jealousy, and defeat which might have been comical if it had not been aimed at me, in fact the fact that it was aimed at me made it pretty darn close to terrifying; and I probably would have been full out terrified if it weren't for Katara standing next to me and the knowing look my uncle had as he stood behind the avatar.

If My uncle wasn't freaking out then chances were this would all turn out alright and I had no reason to freak out, but even then I wasn't exactly… well not freaking out.

"Katara what on earth" Aang has finally found his voice. "I came here to rescue you, and find you kissing him!" there is pain and shock ringing as clearly though his voice as it is painted on his face

Katara jerks her head up, "it isn't up to you who I kiss" her voice dripping with poison and her eyes narrowed. I felt somewhat relived (for more than one reason) if she could be angry then she would be fine and if she could be angry at Aang then it meant that I wasn't the only person she got angry at.

"But he is the enemy!" came the shocked reply of the avatar his eyes growing wide as he realizes that the kiss wasn't forced

"No he's not, I understand that now" The poison had left her voice it was steady and sure, yet I could see the doubt on the avatar's face.

I am shocked she is standing up for me but her steady voice helped me gain my bearings and I reached down inside myself and I too found my voice "Aang I am not your enemy, I was thrown in here, by Azula, she is the enemy. I can help you defeat her, and save Ba-Sing-Se"

"Why do you care about what happens to the city?" Aang asks accusingly

"My uncle and I have made our home here I'm not being chased away from something I care about again." It feels good to tell the truth for once. This time I will stand up and fight not beg for mercy.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Enough!" Katara jumps between us, because we have been walking towards each other while arguing pulled forward out of anger and desperation. "We don't have time for this." She turns to Aang "I believe Zuko, and we need his help you can fight after we have saved the city" Aang lowers his head, then she faces me. "Deal?" she asks her beautiful blue eyes staring into mine, somehow through the gaze I find the ability to nod, "then let's go"

Katara walks past Iroh (who has that smug look on his face that I hate) and into the tunnel that Aang and Iroh came out of. I take one look at the avatar and then go after her.


	3. Chapter 3

Katara POV

As soon as we got out of the catacombs we were surrounded by Dai-Li agents. I recognized the one who had confiscated my water skin earlier, made a grab for it and didn't hold back. I unravel water whip at the one agent who took my water skin and throw him at another agent who was about to attack Zuko from behind.

Zuko caught my eye and gave me a quick nod before unleashing a powerful blast of fire from his fist that knocked back multiple Dai-Li agents. I glanced at Aang who used one of the agent's rock glove against him and that ended up with a very uncomfortable fist to the face for the Dai-Li agent. I then looked over at Iroh to see how he was faring, and I found myself pleasantly surprised.

To say his fire bending is phenomenal is an understatement; he was surrounded in fire and wherever he stepped the ground turn black, none of the rock fists of the Dai-Lee agents could touch him as they vaporized whenever they hit the fire. I would never underestimate the wrath of old people again.

As quickly as we could we defeated the Dai-Li agents and ran back to the palace. We encountered more agents on the way, but it seemed that they usually traveled in groups of two so they weren't that much of a threat. Soon we reached the Palace and I lead the way through multiple rooms and hallways. When we found the throne room, we were surprised and horrified to see Toph and Sokka engaged in a battle with Mai and Ty Lee. We arrive just as Mai has pinned Toph to the ground with her stilettos, and Ty Lee hits Sokka in his stomach, effectively blocking his Chi.

With a ferocious "_Argh_", I had turned my water in to ice shards and Ty Lee was now pinned against the wall, struggling. Zuko then jumps in front of Toph, facing Mai. He lets fire explode from his palms and she's blown against the wall, knocking out from the impact.

"Mai!" Ty Lee calls to her friend, as she struggles.

"Try blocking my Chi now, Circus Freak!" I yell at her and trap her body in ice with more of my water making sure she can't get out of the encasement against the wall.

I then turn to the Earth King who's been sitting on his throne the entire time with a puzzled expression. "These are_not_Kyoshi Warriors," I explain, "they are imposters from the Fire Nation, here with Princess Azula to take over the Ba Sing Se with the help of the Dai-Li."

The king's stunned silence is interupted by the sound of eery clapping. We all looked towards the two main doors and see Azula herself, clapping with a smirk.

"Congratulations, _peasant_. I didn't expect you to make it out of the Crystal Catacombs, at least not alive. And Zuzu I thought for sure that you would have attacked the Avatar by now. Don't you care about your_honor_?" She sneered.

"Azula," I looked over at Zuko to see him glaring at his sister. His voice was laced with malice that rivaled his sisters easily.

"Didn't you know underestimating your opponent is the quickest way to defeat?" He mocked her. "You're outnumbered and your friends here are useless." He gestured to Mai and Ty Lee, both of them struggling.

The Princess looked at her Fire Nation comrades.

"Useless? Yes," she nodded then her face lit up with a smile that was anything but caring. "Outnumbered? No."

All at once we were surrounded by Dai-Li agents. I ran to the Earth King to offer him protection. I got into a ready stance and projected my voice to where Aang, Zuko and Iroh were standing.

"You guys try to hold back Azula, I'll protect the Earth King." Already Dai-Li agents were trying to swarm me.

"Try to help Sokka and Toph also!" Aang yelled back at me as he rushed towards Azula with Zuko and Iroh on his flanks.

I went first to Toph and had to blast a Dai-Li agent with water to keep him away from her while I freed her from Mai's multiple stilettos.

"Protect the Earth King while I help Sokka," I say to Toph hurriedly as soon as she is free, before rushing over to Sokka and move him somewhere safe. Many Dai-Li tried to rush me and I did my best to ward them off.

When Sokka has recovered enough to sit up I glance over to Aang, Iroh, and Zuko to see that they are fairing decently in their fight against Azula. I help Sokka to his feet and then together we run over to Toph who's having no trouble against the multiple(_and inferior_) opponents. Nonetheless, I encase my arms with water and help with taking out more agents.

_This is too easy,_I think, my eyes narrowing to slits. Azula isn't this stupid… Is she?

I shouldn't have questioned it.

To my right I hear an explosion; I look to see a large hole darkened with scorch marks and about two dozen firebenders behind said hole.

Azula was right, she most definitely was _not_ outnumbered.

We _were_.

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><p>Reviews are welcome by the way<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Zuko POV

It actually wasn't much of a surprise. I mean we were talking about _Azula_here. She may have been cruel and insane at some times, but she was not stupid. However, at the moment, I _really_had no time to be contemplating my sisters sanity. I encase my arms in fire and use them like whips to trip one of the firebenders who has gotten a little to close for comfort.

In the corner of my eye I see Aang and my uncle battling Azula. It seemed to be an even match and I concluded that they didn't need my help. I glance toward the throne and see Katara doing her best to defend the Earth King. She was starting to waver in the battle but before I can get to her the blind earthbender appears by her side and I know she'll be safe. Sokka, on the other hand, is almost completely surrounded by the firebenders. Running over to help, I blast one of them with fire from my right fist and then propel myself over them with small jets of fire, landing back to back with the only non-bender here. My landing was shaky but I managed to keep myself upright and keep fighting with Sokka.

"What are you doing here?" Sokka yells to me as he protects his face against a strong blast of fire with his unusual sword.

"Saving your sorry butt, now shut up and fight!" I send a wave of fire at multiple soldiers then, lighting my hands with fire daggers. I then engage in hand to hand combat with a group of the soldiers.

Sokka and I are back to back, and I have to admit that he is a formidable swordsman; he can defend against both fire and earth (as long as his back is guarded) by slicing straight through the elements with his sword. It's impressive.

But no matter how impressive anyone is eventually I know we'll all get tired.

_I won't last much longer_, I think to myself. My confidence had dropped tremondously and my fatigue wasn't helping anything.

A ferocious yell rips from my throat and I move the fire into an 'X', my body following it's movements. In front of me about five of the soldiers are knocked back, useless for the time being.

The numbers dwindle and I begin to grow confident, but I don't have time to try to assure myself of our victory.

It all seems to move in slow motions as I hear the surprised gasp of the Avatar while he's pushed to the ground with a glove of the Dai-Li to his spine.

I see Katara rushing towards him with his name falling from her lips. "_Aang,"_ Katara's voice is carried throughout the throne room as she tries to get to his side.

I notice the glint in my sister's eyes as she sees the gap in Katara's defense.

And before I could consider what I was doing, my body was moving of its own accord and I realize that I'm calling her name.

"Katara! _No_!" I wrap my arms around Katara and feel the heat of Azula's blast run down my spine. I'm thrown towards the wall and I know that as long as Katara's okay, everything will be fine.

That is my last thought before I my sight and mind fade to black.

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><p>Authors note<p>

* * *

><p>this is chapter 3.5 a fake interview with Zuko right before the battle just for fun<p>

Welcome to... 20 Questons! With Prince Zuko 10 seconds before death!

"Are you outnumbered?" Yes by about 10 to 1

"Are they stronger?" Only one way to find out

"Are they smarter?" Quite possibly

"Are they more experienced?" We'll find out

"Are they more prepared?" Most definitely

"Do you have any idea what was going?" Nope not at all

"Are you scared?" Do you really think I am going to answer that?

"Do you plan on backstabbing Katara in this battle?" Do I ever plan things?

"Did that last kiss with Katara make your head spin?" Why would I tell you that?

"Was that your first kiss?" Yes-No-Wait where are you getting these questions?

"Are you cheating on Mai with Katara?" How do you know about Mai?

"Was it all a lie with Karara? Are you gay?" What the? No! Why would you even ask that?"Wa-" Forget this! I am leaving I have to go fight Azula and Her stupid 2 dozen reinforcements.


	5. Chapter 5

Katara POV

_Don't be dead_, I chanted relentlessly._Oh Spirit's, please, don't let him be dead_.

I'm such an idiot.

The impact was painful but Zuko got the full brunt of it. I lie him down on the ground, but he doesn't move. I press my hands against his cold face and continue my chant.

_No, you_can't _be dead._

I bend water from my skin and encase my hands with it, watching it slowly glow. I roll him over onto his back and see where Azula blasted him. I gasp because it's horrible. Most of his shirt has burned away and what didn't is smoldering and black. His actual back worse; bloody and raw.

"No, Zuko, no," My voice is thick with pain and I try to swallow back the sorrow. Tears start to pour down my face as I settle my water encased hands onto his wound. I sense the battle going on around me but I don't care.

Watching Aang fall was nothing compared to seeing_this_. The tears continue to roll down my cheeks as I concentrate hard on Zuko's back.

I can feel the water molding into his wound and slowly healing it.I put all of my energy into this task and hope, trying to ignore the nagging voice at the back of my mind.

_What if I'm too late_? _What if he is already gone_? The questions float through my brain. _No_! I scream to myself. I _won't_ let that happen. I would never fail him like that, especially after the way he had just saved me. I continue to focus on healing him, hoping and praying to the Spirit's that it will be okay.

When I've done all I can do turn him over and put my hand to his chest, trying to feel a beat…

I feel…_nothing_.

I sob, it is already over I failed him.

I look up to see the battle is not going well. But I am too angry to care. My vision turns red and I mold my hands into ice claws. I feel the healer slipping away and a warrior taking her place. I jump at the nearest firebender and tear at his throat with ferocity.

When the faintest hint of sanity returns to me I can see that Azula and I are the only ones left. Aang is still down from the earth bender, Toph and Sokka were both, Iroh was incased in rock and had a gash on his forehead, he too was unconscious, and Zuko hadn't moved since Azula blasted him. I sobbed even harder through the tears as I looked at my fallen friends.

Azula looks around, calmly assessing the damage.

"My presence is no longer needed here," She nods to me and walks out of the room nothing but regality in her posture. For a second I think that she's stupid for turning her back on her enemy, but then I look around and notice that the remaining soldiers had been taken down by me.

No wonder Azula ran from me.

I walk over to Zuko and kneel by him. I touch his face gently, and I start to get a headache from the constant tears. But I don't care.

"It should have been me in your place," I speak to his lifeless body my voice broken. "I should be dead, not you. You were never supposed to die."


	6. Chapter 6

Katara POV

My tears fall on his face, cold and even paler in death. His golden eyes stared at me lifelessly. I kiss his forehead lightly.

"Goodbye, Zuko," My hand shakes as I slowly closed his eyes.

I stand and walk over to Aang. My movements are almost robotic as I encase my hand with water and heal Aang who is fine, just knocked out. I make my round and in less than an hour I have everybody lying on a mat in the throne room. The earth kind passed out during the middle of the battle which didn't surprise me, but nothing was wrong with him. The only one who I was gone was the only one I cared about… well that is a bit of a lie. I think to myself as I look around the half demolished room. I count 23 dead bodies, over half of Azula's men all stone cold on the ground, form my hands.

I pick up Zuko who is now ice cold to the touch "I may as well have killed you by my own hands too."

With Zuko in my arms I walk through the abandoned palace to the court yard and into the only fountain that I have seen in the entire earth kingdom. It is magnificent as everything is in the center of Ba-Sing-Se. It is made out of earth and had intricate designs on it. But at the moment I don't care enough to do more than glance at them.

I lay Zuko in the fountain and freeze a bed of ice beneath him so he won't sink. Then I take the amulet of spirit water from my neck and bend out the water.

"You failed to heal his scar before, I have no reason to believe you will not fail me again" I tell the water as it spins and glows in the palm of my hand "I have nothing to lose, everything is already over. Even so I can't help but feel that I have to do something that I have to try. I beg of you help me and do not fail me now."

I place the water on his wound and I feel it going into him, into his very being and healing him from the inside. Perhap... there_ is _hope.

I lay him back down and move the water on his chest, over his heart. I will it to beat. _Stay with me_, I pray to Tui, La, Agni and whatever other Spirits I can think of.

Then I feel the beat begin to fade. It's as if the water is evaporating and my energy is going with.

My concentration breaks.

I lean over him over him.

"No, I was _so_ close," I carress his pale face. "I've failed you again." Tears streak down my face and I kiss him

I failed Zuko

I failed him

I failed the person I loved

I failed

I failed

I failed

Suddenly, I feel his cold lips return my kiss. I open my eyes and see the color slowly returning to his face.

Tears flood down my face as our kiss breaks and the man I killed and brought back to life stares at me with love in his eyes as he says in a voice, though weak that I hear clearly.

"You didn't fail me Katara"


	7. Chapter 7

_Zuko POV_

I have got to be the _luckiest_, half dead man dead.

"I thought I'd lost you," She said, smiling through the tears.

"I'll never leave you, you'd find a way to bring me back and then kick my ass." I say as I try to sit up. "Oh God, not to mention freeze me to death, where the hell am I?" Whatever I was laying on was ice cold and it was driving me _insane_.

Katara's laugh was such a beautiful thing to hear. "Better than having Azula burn you to death," She smiled. "I'm glad you are back, Zuko."

"I'm glad to be back, but I really am cold."

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><p>Katara half caries me back to the throne room, and on the way she tells me what happened during the battle. I was surprised. I had always known Katara's was strong, but Azula <em>never<em> ran away from a fight. At the throne room I realize that I would have done the same thing in Azula's shoes.

I make a mental note never to die again when Katara is around.

We take the bodies outside where I burn them. Back inside we find that my uncle is awake, sipping from a tea cup.

Where he found the time and all the stuff to make tea is beyond me, but apparently Uncle always manages.

"Thank goodness, you are alive after all," He relaxes visibly. "Here have some tea."

An hour later everyone was conscious and full of uncle's best tea.

"So what's the plan now?" Sokka asked

Aang thought for a minute. "Well, the plans for the invasion are all ready so all we have to do is go through with them."

"There are a few problems with that though," Katara said. "Aang, you still need to learn firebending."

"I agree with Katara," Toph puts in. "and your earthbending is _not _the best."

"And there is also the matter of Azula getting away.." Katara continues. "I shouldn't have let her go, I think I could have gotten her."

I put my hand on her back to comfort her. "No, you did more than enough." I ran my hand in a small circle.

"You got burned! It's my fault." She said, tears building.

"Yes, Katara, it_ is _your fault that I am alive." I say gently.

"Zuko's right," Aang says, eyeing me. "It is thanks to you that we are all alive."

Katara manages a weak smile.

"In any case I believe that it would be in your best interest to stay in Ba Sing Se until the invasion." Iroh says. "Then you will be able to train here, with the troops, while preparing for the invasion; As for Azula I am sure you will confront her when the time comes.".

"What will you do Uncle?" I ask.

"I will also stay here Ba Sing Se; after all I still have a tea shop to run!" Iroh said, grinning, but then it lowered to a minimal smile. "I will also help with the preparations, if needed."

So we all decided that we'd continue to train in Ba Sing Se until the invasion. Azula would be dealt with when the time came, and my father would be defeated by the time Sozin's Comet arrived.

Hopefully.


End file.
